General Version Industry

Environmental Management Tool Kit

Management Toolkit for Operators Holding a Permit to Discharge Waste Pesticide Washings to Land Management Toolkit for Operators Holding a Permit to Discharge Waste Pesticide Washings to Land

This is an example Environmental Management System. You don’t have to use this example but it is designed to help you meet the requirements of permit condition 1 relating to management. It will need to be modified to suit your site as some parts won’t be relevant to your operation and you may need to make some additions. A copy of this document should be held along with a copy of your permit at a place where it is easily accessible to site operatives, ideally this will be on site.

Pesticides can harm water life, and affect drinking water sources and contaminate land. Good storage and handling procedures will minimise risks of causing water pollution. Very small amounts of pesticide can cause serious pollution problems, even just the amount of residue on a foil seal from a concentrate container. Contents

1. Maintenance and operations checklist
2. Maintenance record
3. Recording form for discharges of pesticide washings
4. List of substances and storage facilities
5. Training checklist and training record
6. Complaints form for recording complaints about your site from members of the public.
7. Accident and incident recording form
8. Accident management plan A. Site plan B. Preventing accidents and incidents C. Key site and emergency contacts
9. **Maintenance/Operations Checklist**\
   (Pesticide washings discharges to ground)

| Item | How often (tick the appropriate box) | Where are the maintenance/operating instructions? | |----------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | Check local weather forecast prior to spraying and take into account the direction and strength of the wind when deciding if safe to spray. | Week: ☑️ Month: ☑️ Year: ☑️ Prior to application: ☑️ Post application: ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ensure sprayer is maintained properly to prevent leaks and drips and to ensure it sprays evenly. | ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ideally have trailed, mounted or self propelled sprayers tested annually under the National Sprayer Testing Scheme. | ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ensure all maps are kept up to date with details of surface waters, springs, wells, boreholes and other vulnerable groundwater so pesticide activities are kept away from these sensitive areas. | ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ensure records of discharge of waste pesticide washings are kept to ensure compliance with your permit. | ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ensure pesticides are applied in a manner so as only the intended targets are affected | ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ensure appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is available for workers involved in the spraying and disposal processes. The required PPE should be stated on the instruction leaflet that comes with the pesticide. For example non-lined synthetic rubber gloves, face mask and so on. | ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ensure the area use for handling and mixing pesticides is free of any cracks or holes that could allow pesticide to escape to ground or into a watercourse. | ☑️ | ☑️ | | If spreading conditions are unsuitable or if any other factors are present which may prevent the prompt disposal of your pesticide washings they must be stored carefully in impermeable containers designed to hold such toxic materials. These containers must then be stored so that any spillage cannot enter drains or run over adjoining land, and be bunded to contain any unforeseen spillage. | ☑️ | ☑️ | | Ensure that any used pesticide containers are triple rinsed before disposal at a suitably permitted facility. | | ✔ | | Add appropriate items for your site | | | Advice on applying pesticides is published in the Code of Practice for using plant protection products. This can be downloaded from the government website.

A code of good agricultural practice for farmers, growers and land managers (COGAP) also provides advice on pesticide use. See Defra website.

COGAP is also available in hard copy, free of change, from The Stationery Office, PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN (ISBN 9780112432845).

For more information on farm chemical stores look on the Health and Safety Executive’s website for their document titled *Guidance on storing pesticides for farmers and other professional users.* 2. **Maintenance Record**

You need to keep a record of the checks you have completed, that are set out in your checklist along with any additional checks you have made. This could be recorded in a diary or alternatively you could adapt the form below to create a record sheet.

You should record the following information:

- The check or maintenance job done;
- Who completed it;
- The result.

Alternatively you could use this form. Please copy it prior to completion to ensure a future supply.

| Item: inspect sample point | Due: weekly | |---------------------------|-------------| | **Completed on** | **Completed by** | **The result** | | e.g. 27-08-09 | Mr A N Other | For example, concrete base of the pesticide handling and mixing area is cracked. Fix the cracks before using the area again. | 3. Recording Form for Discharge of Pesticide Washings.

Site Name:

Permit number:

| Required Records | Discharge Date | Discharge Date | Disposal Date | Disposal Date | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|---------------| | Licensed brand name or chemical composition of pesticide | | | | | | Volume of working strength pesticide to be treated | | | | | | Spreading equipment used | | | | | | What are you using to dilute the pesticide? (For example, slurry or water) | | | | | | Volume of water or slurry added to the pesticide | | | | | | Application rate of treated pesticide to land. In m³/ha (gallons/acre) | | | | | | Location of disposal area, either indicate field numbers or national grid reference. | | | | | | Area of discharge. | | | | 4- List of Substances and Storage Facilities

The following is a list of chemicals that are stored on site that could be harmful to the environment if they escape.

| Material | Maximum Quantity | Type and size of storage | Type and size of Secondary Containment | |---------------------------|------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | Pesticide (brand name) | 10 litres | Farm Chemical Store constructed in accordance with HSE Agriculture Information Sheet A/S16 | Bund integral to chemical store | For more information on farm chemical stores look on the Health and Safety Executive's website for their document titled *Guidance on storing pesticides for farmers and other professional users.* 5. Training Checklist Make sure everyone involved in the use of pesticides has been trained in personal health and safety and environmental impacts.

| Environmental awareness | Maintenance/ operations | Accidents and emergency | |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| | Appropriate certificate of competence in the use of agricultural pesticides, if required\* | Correct operation and maintenance of equipment used for spraying | Fire procedure | | Adequate and appropriate training on using pesticides safely | Storage, handling and mixing areas maintenance. | Spill response procedure | | Content of the permit and other relevant regulations, codes of practice and guidance. | Awareness of buffer zones. | | | Check weather forecasts for wind direction and speed | Awareness of vulnerable areas map | | | Farmer /site manager | Maintenance/ operations | | | Farm help | Accidents and emergency | |

Tick boxes show who needs which training. Fill in training record when training is completed.

Training in the use of agricultural pesticides is provided by the National Proficiency Tests Council who are contactable on 0247 6857300 or on their website.

Operators holding a permit to discharge waste pesticide washings to land Version 2, October 2014 5.1 Training Record Use this form to record any training you, or (if relevant) your staff, receive relating to the use of pesticides.

| Employee Name | Job Title | |---------------|-----------| | | |

| Training Required | Date due | Date done | Passed as competent? yes/no | Reviewers Signature | Date for Refresher | Comments | |-------------------|----------|-----------|-----------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|----------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \*The training and certification section of the Code of Practice for using plant protection products specifies when it’s necessary to obtain a certificate of competence. Code of practice for using plant protection products, January 2006 is available from the HSE website.

### 6. Complaints Record

| Who made the complaint? | | |-------------------------|--| | Name: |--| | |--| | Address |--| | |--| | Phone No |--| | Date and time they made the complaint | | | | | | What happened, what was it about? | | | | | | Was anyone else aware of this – other neighbours or your staff? If so who? | | | | | | Assuming the complaint relates to your site, what was the problem, what went wrong? If you can’t find the source of the problem you should contact a suitably qualified person to do so and record who this was, and what the problem was. | | | | | | What have you done to make sure that it does not happen again? | | | | | | Was there any significant pollution – for example: odour or spillage of pesticide onto the ground into a drain or a watercourse? | | | | | | If there was then you must notify the Natural Resources Wales on 0300 065 3000 ASAP. Have you done so? | Yes/No/not applicable | | | At what time did you phone? | | | EA incident number? | You must also write or send an email to confirm this to the local office (see your accident management plan for the address) Have you done so?

Yes/No/not applicable

Please print your name and sign:

Continue on a separate sheet if you do not have enough room. Keep the completed form in the file to discuss with Natural Resources Wales when they visit.

7. Accident and Incident Recording Form

Record of accidents, other incidents or near misses This form is to be used for reporting on things that could impact on the environment, for example: spillage of polluting pesticide into a surface water drain leading to a watercourse. “Other incidents” covers impacts on the environment that are not accidents, but poor practice. It is also good practice to record near misses – for example there was a leak in one of the pesticide containers but it was stored in an approved steel cabinet so all the pesticide was captured.

Date and time of the incident

What happened, what was it about?

Was anyone else aware of this – other witnesses? If so who?

What caused it?

What have you done to make sure that it does not happen again? Was there any significant pollution – for example: spillage of polluting liquids onto the ground, into a drain or a watercourse? If so what?

If there was then you must notify Natural Resources Wales on 0300 065 3000 ASAP. Have you done so?

Yes/No/not applicable At what time did you phone? EA incident number?

You must also write or send an email to confirm this to the local office (see your accident management plan for the address)

Have you done so? Yes/No/not applicable

Please print your name and sign

Continue on a separate sheet if you do not have enough room. Keep the completed form in the file to discuss with Natural Resources Wales when they visit.

8. Accident management plan

Created by:\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\____________________Date:___________________

Accident Management Plan Contents

A – Site plan

B – Key site and emergency contacts

C – Preventing accidents… and what to do if they happen.

A – Site Plan Insert site plan showing location of the following items:

1. Site entrances and exits available to the emergency services and maintenance contractors

2. Buildings; the buildings and other main constructions, including pesticide store Drainage; including o foul drainage (marked in red), o surface water drainage (marked in blue).

Accident and emergency response items; such as fire extinguishers, spill kits, sand bags, alarms, first aid kit and so on.

Vulnerable receptors; on site or adjacent receptors that could be affected by the site operations, such as watercourses, springs, boreholes, ecologically sensitive sites, residential properties and so on.

B - Preventing Accidents and Incidents and what to do if they happen.

The following table contains some of the potential environmental risks relating to a facility with a permit to dispose of waste pesticide washings to ground. It is not exhaustive so you should also consider if there is anything particular to your site that could cause a problem. Read the table thoroughly. Some points may not apply to your activity and please add any site specific issues to the list. The table also describes what you ought to be doing to reduce the risk of an accident and what should be done if one actually occurs.

Please ensure that you are committed to the table’s contents as it forms part of your EMS which is a condition of your permit and therefore must be complied with.

You will need to develop a spill response procedure to ensure that any spillages are dealt with correctly. This should be attached to this document. Please ensure spill kits and any other equipment referred to are readily available and you / your staff know how to use them.

Finally make sure that any contractors or farm workers know about the plan, where to find it, and what it contains. It is important that they know how to prevent accidents and what to do should one occur. Remember, if an accident does happen, follow the plan in this table.

You may need to review this accident management plan following an incident, accident, or if Natural Resources Wales asks you to do so.

| Possible accident | What would the harm be? | How do we reduce the chances of it happening? | What to do if it happens | |-------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------| | Spillages | | Ensure chemicals are transported in a drip tray or similar container large enough to hold spillages and secured to avoid tipping. | | Spillage of pesticide during storage before use.

Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and watercourses.

Ensure that the pesticide concentrate storage area is of sound construction, is well maintained and located where it is unlikely to be damaged by vehicles.

Ensure pesticide is stored away from drains and watercourses and in a secure tray or bund to contain any spillage.

Store pesticide concentrate in a properly constructed farm chemical store or approved steel cabinet in accordance with HSE.

Follow the spill response procedure. It describes what to do in the event of a spill and where the kit is kept.

Environmental pollution must be reported to the Natural Resources Wales.

| Possible accident | What would the harm be? | How do we reduce the chances of it happening? | What to do if it happens | |-------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------| | Spillage of pesticides due to overfilling sprayer tanks. | Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and watercourses | Ensure that you know the capacity of the tanker and the quantity of pesticide washings or concentrate to be placed in the tanker. Fill the tanker on an area of hard standing with no drains present to ensure containment of any spills. | Spill response procedure as described above |

Agriculture Information Sheet A/S16

If spillages occur soak them up with an absorbent material and dispose of through a registered waste carrier.

### Failure of Plant or Equipment

| Leakages; due to faulty pipe work, holes in the spraying or transporting equipment and so on. | Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and watercourses. | Visual inspection of the pipe work spraying and transporting equipment prior to use. Preventative maintenance regime. | Spill response procedure as described above. |

### Possible accident

| What would the harm be? | How do we reduce the chances of it happening? | What to do if it happens |

### Inappropriate conditions

| Discharging pesticide washings onto frozen, waterlogged or cracked land | Runoff of dip into local water courses or pollution of groundwater | Pesticide must only be spread onto land which is in an appropriate condition to receive it. In the event of unsuitable spreading conditions store the dip securely in an appropriate container until spreading can occur |

| Over application | | | Decontamination of equipment in treated area with a single flush of a large quantity of water. Leading to an over application of pesticide.

Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and watercourses.

Repeatedly flush spraying equipment with low volumes of water rather than using a single rinse of a high volume of water. If the spraying equipment is fitted with a low volume tank washing device use this as recommended by the manufacturer.

Environmental pollution must be reported to the Natural Resources Wales

The spaces in the table have been left for you to fill in any other potential accidents or incidents which may occur.

For more information on farm chemical stores look on the Health and Safety Executive’s website for their document titled Guidance on storing pesticides for farmers and other professional users.

Further information on preventing pollution can be found in our Pollution Prevention Guidelines available on our web site.

PPG 21, incident response planning - contains information on how to produce an incident response plan to deal with an environmental incident on your site.

MAGIC is a web based interactive map service to bring together environmental information from across government. It will be useful in finding local sensitive sites.

C – Key Site and Emergency Contacts This table contains information and contacts you may need in an emergency (adjust to suit your site).

| SITE DETAILS | |--------------| | Location: | | Postcode: | | Site Access Grid Reference: |

| SITE CONTACTS | Office Hours (specify) | Out of hours | |---------------|------------------------|--------------| | Owner: | | | | Farm Manager: | | | | Tennant: | | |

| EMERGENCY SERVICES | Office Hours | Out of hours | |--------------------|--------------|--------------| | Emergency | 999 | 999 |

Operators holding a permit to discharge waste pesticide washings to land Version 2, October 2014 | REGULATORS | Office Hours | Out of hours | |------------|--------------|--------------| | Health and Safety Executive (HSE) | | | | Local Authority: | | | | Natural Resources Wales (Local) | 0300 065 3000 | | | EA (24 hour emergency hotline) | 0800 80 70 60 | 0800 80 70 60 | | Natural England | | |

| UTILITY AND KEY SERVICES | Office Hours | Out of hours | |--------------------------|--------------|--------------| | Pesticide use advisor | | |

| OTHER KEY CONTACTS | Office Hours | Out of hours | |--------------------|--------------|--------------| | Adjacent landowners: | | | | Neighbours: | | | | Specialist advisors: | | |